Game apparatus



Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

w. J. WOOD AND w. e. SAND. GAME APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1920.

INVENTOR AT RNEY.

] UN T -P.

g WALTER J, wool),

sine nrrana'rus.

Application many 1,

To'aZZ concern: 1.

States, and residents of Newark; county of Essex, and State o'f- NewJersey, and Irving ton," county. ofJEssex, and State of'New 7 Jersey, respectively, have invented certain 1 game apparatus which-Fis of the type emv in the claims;

new and useful Improvements-inGame Ap-i paratus, V of which the foll owingiis a specifi cation. t I

Thls invention,- relates to an "ImP IOVBd' ployin'g an endless trough, usually elliptical or circular, in which a current is given to waterin'the trough; sothat it' circulates in" onedirection, the invention relating particularly to the-installation of mechanism to permit thedetermini 1110f which a'series of floats travels a: specified distance in the trough within a specified time, a specified destination first.

construction which aid in providing both uncertainty and excitement in the 1 operation of the device such' details to be more fully described hereinafter and finally embodied The inventionis illustrated in the accom+ panying drawing, inawhichFigure 1 shows one formtof device ;for carrying out our im- 7 proved invention, andiFig. 2 iSIa plan view ofa-inodified form of partition. r

The-device can be mounted on any Suit-1s able support, the forin illustrated in the drawing embodying a-htable 10 supported on legs 11,the table having mounted thereon an endlesstrough 12, in the-:form shown the trough being elliptical, although it willrbe understood that otheriforms can be used,

an'd'as this deviceis oftenjinstalled atsuIn-, mer resorts and similar .-places, it iss em bellished with ornamentation and trimmings that are not illustrated in the' drawing. 1 a

"The insideof the trough, that is, the-space inclosed by the. trough, is occupled by the person who operates the device and gives; a out such prizes as may be ofi'ered to WIIIIIBIS;

The trough is provided with a body of water and is also-provided with means for causing Such water .to' circulate in one vdirection, and we illustrate a pump 13 driven by a motor 13%, the pump'receiving water from the tank bymeans oftheoutlet pipe 14 and forcing water into the tank through the inlet pipe 15, the nozzle of said inlet pipe beorarriv es ati t a 7 means foragitatlng thewater at separated" The invention resides in certalndetails" of" P -M sai;we; eeo. serialno. 378,082, v f" ing directed awayhfrom the outlet pipe that thefwatertravelsfrom the inlet and thengaroun'd the hole length of the tank to? the outlet. 3 Suitable floats are'usedin' the game," the illustration showing floats 16, usually inj'th'e shape of very buoyantw'balls'whiclrcang'be identified by different. colors" or numbers or by, othersuitable identifying mesa-nsI Ink order to start the floats off togetherwe provide' a" starting gate 17, Which isconstructed so that the balls can be-released at the same time, r such simultaneous release in the 1 form shown being provided by providing the'gate with a pivot 18 which has a handle*19 by means of which it is swung, and: the balls points,suchvas by' the small bridges 20'o'r] by a: series of inclined corrugations, as at 21, 'which provide a miniaturerapids or fall I in which the floats will change their respective positions. 1 r

The travel of the floats isfinished by a partition 22 which permits thewpassage of water,- ,this being :usually accomplished by providing thepartition with slots 23;'*the partition extendingiifar enough-"above the water to stop-the 'floats, it being a rule that the float that reaches the partition firstwins," ;In: order topromptly identify such winner itcan be further provided thata fixed destination must bev reached by the winner, which Would assist in identifying, 'one form of doing this being by providingone portion of the partition, say thecenter, with a recessed part 24 which can receive but one'float, and the float which isseated'therein would be considered the winner It Will be understood, however,-:that we may? make the partition straight and identify ther winner byflpickingv from lithe water the first float thatreaches'therfinish;' r mi :1

Tolmake the finish more exciting 'and'ttof disturb any smooth sailingl of-the floats, we prefer;toaagitatesthenwater adjacent to the partition2'2-,'one form of doing this beingacs, complished by the water coming in through the inlet pipe. A'inozzle 25may be attached:

to, the inlet pipe, which nozzle' has divergent the surface so that the surface becomes choppy and the relative position of the floats is quickly changed as theyapproach the finish, thereby lending excitement and uncertainty to the game.

A perforated stop 26 is usually provided between the, gate 17 and. the partition 22 so, as to provide a place where floats that are not in use are stored.

In Fig. 2 we show a modified form of artition,-this partition 27 having a centra re cess 28 and side recesses 29 and 30 which serve to identify the first, second and third place floats; for instance, the float entering 28 would be considered ashaving won first place; the one in 29 second one in, 30 third place.

Many modified forms of such identity structures can'be used, as will beevident.

. Details of the invention may be altered without departing from the scope of the invention, and we do not wish to beunderstood as limiting ourselves to the-exact form shown.

-We'claimz. 3

1. A game apparatus comprising an end- 7 less trough to contain water, means for causing the water to' travel in one direction, floats on the water and propelled thereby and of a Size to pass each-other in the trough,

the floats having identifying marks thereon' whereby they can be difl'erentiated, and

means extending across the trough 'for stopping said floats and thus defining the finish of their travel.

2. A game apparatus comprising an endless trough, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, both pipes opening into said trough and disposed so as to cause water in the trough to travel in one direction therein, floats, a stop to define the finish of travel of said floats, and a gate for releasing said floats simultane ously at the start.

3. A game apparatus comprising an endless trough, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, both' pipes opening into said trough and relatively close together, the inletpipe hav-' ing-its end directed away'from the outlet, and a partition to permit the flow of water but disposed so as to stop an object. floating floating. on the water in the troug place, and the. A V. mit f the simultaneous starting of; objects ,ously, saidgate being slightly advance .of Par ition, i a a, Q 5. A ameapparatus"com msmg an'end- "less trough, an outlet pipe, an inlet pipe slightly in advance of the outlet pipe and having its nozzle directed away from said outlet pipe, a partition slightly inadvance of said nozzle and adapted to stop objects a stop beyond said partition, said stop permitting the passage of water but preventing the pass sage of objects-floating on the'water, and a gate beyond said stop,;said:gate being adapt ed to permit. the passage of water but .pre-

vent-ing the. advance-iof'iobjects-floating on the 'water,"said gate beingniovable to per- 6: A game-apparatus; an end less trough, an outlet pipe, an inleti pip'e' slightly in advance-of,the outlet pipe and having its nozzle directed" away from said outlet pipe, arpartitionaslightly in advance of saidnozzle and'adapte to stop objects floatingi on the water in5thetrough, a" stop beyond said partition, said stop" permitting the passage of'waterbut preventing the pas-a sage of objects floating on the water, a gate beyond said stop,';sa'id-g ate being'adapted to permit the passage oflwater but preventing the advance of objects floating on the water, said gate being movable to permit thesimultaneous starting of objects: halted thereby, and meansfo'r causing surface agitation of the water at separated p oints'in said trough;

7. A game apparatus comprisingan endless trough to contain water, means for causing the water to' travel in one direction, floats on the water and-propelled thereby and of a size' 'to' p'ass l'eacht other inthe trough, the floats having identifying marks thereon whereby they can 1 be differentiated, 1 means extending across the-trough for stop;

ping said floats and thus defining the finish oftheir travel, and means for agitating the surface 0t thel'water approaching said stoppingmeans, whereby the relative positions of "the'floats are subjectto change.

'8. 'A game apparatus comprising an endless trough, a body of water in the trough,

an outlet pipe connected with the trough,

an inlet pipe having its nozzle end directed 11 away from said outlet -pipe,-a partitioln' adapted to'act as a stop for objects floating on the water, said nozzle being constructed to project divergent streams so as to cause a surface-agitation of the water between the nozzle and the partition In testimony that we claim the foregoing,

we have hereto set our hands, this-29th day'of April,19 20. I V r WALTER J. WOOD;

WILLIAM, G-" D- 

